


After The Battle

by Kayim



Category: Marvel Avengers Movies Universe
Genre: Comment Fic, F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-14
Updated: 2012-03-14
Packaged: 2017-11-01 22:51:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/362143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayim/pseuds/Kayim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's just Clint and Natasha, as they're both used to.  This time Clint's been hurt, as Natasha's used to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	After The Battle

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt of Clint/Natasha, after the battle. Originally posted [here](http://fic-promptly.dreamwidth.org/120311.html?thread=5742071&style=mine#cmt5742071).

He's bleeding.

It's not the first time, and he's pretty sure it won't be the last, but it's certainly a bad one. The bullet caught him in the thigh and while it missed the artery, there's enough blood loss that he's finding it hard to concentrate.

Natasha has everything under control though. She always does. He's still holding his bow, following her with the line of an arrow as cover, but he suspects he's not even needed any more. There are only three left standing and Natasha could probably take them all out without a second thought.

Which is useful because he's not sure how much longer he can keep his arms up in this position.

His concentration is waning and he forces his leg to move, hoping the pain will give him a burst of adrenaline to help keep his eyes open. There's already a dark patch hovering around the edges of his vision and he's only partially aware of the scream that comes from the last of the guys as Natasha takes him down.

Knowing that she's safe, he allows his arm to relax, the release of the muscle hurting almost as much as the bullet wound, and the dark fuzziness takes over more of his sight.

The last thing he sees before the dark completely overwhelms him is Natasha shaking her head at him.

*

"You can open your eyes any time now." He can hear her voice and if he thinks about it, he can feel her hand in his. She's rubbing circles in the palm of his hand with her thumb, the way she does when she's worried about him, and her breath is warm against his cheek. "Come on, Clint. Open your eyes, babe."

They're not usually ones for endearments, but they've been together like this for so long that they come naturally after a time. Just the two of them, fighting in the shadows, with only each other for protection.

Them against the world.

He forces his eyes to open and she's there, her face filthy and bloody and as beautiful as she's ever been. She smiles at him and he wonders how he got so lucky.

"That's it. We need to move now."

There's no more time for pet names or gentle caresses. It's back to business and he watches as Natasha becomes Black Widow once more, the mask sliding over her face with practiced ease. She reaches around his body, one arm slipping around his waist as she tugs him up. The tourniquet he tied around the wound is holding, but the pain that floods his body is almost enough to drop him to the ground. Natasha holds him tight against her.

They move in silence through the shadows, no words of encouragement or thanks required. The bleeding is bad, but he'll survive. Natasha is holding her other arm close into her body but she still has her gun gripped tightly.

They're both still breathing, and they both have each other.

It's a lot more than they've had in the past.


End file.
